Missile booster device and attachments therefor



Sept. 7, 1965 E. D. LEGG ETAL 3,204,525

MISSILE BOOSTER DEVICE AND ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EUGEN E D. LE 66 HE R MA N W. KUPETZ KY ATTORNEY Sept. 7, 1965 E. D. LEGG ETAL 3,204,526

MISSILE BOOSTER DEVICE AND ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3e 33 3a zs 3/29 INVENTORJ EUGENE D. LEGG HERMAN W. KUPETZKY United States Patent Ofiice 3,204,526 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 3,204,526 MISSILE BOOSTER DEVICE AND ATTAQIH- MENTS THEREFOR Eugene D. Legg, Glen Burnie, and Herman W. Kupetzky, Baltimore, Md., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 346,360 1 Claim. (Cl. 891.7)

The present invention relates to missile launching systems and is concerned particularly with arrangements for overcoming problems inherent in transporting or handling missile structures on shipboard.

In general, a system for launching missiles from shipboard requires an area where a number of missile assemblies are stored and which is located remotely from the launching area. In large naval vessels, the storage area is usually located at a lower deck in order to provide some physical or cover protection for the missile assemblies against enemy attack, while the launching area is located on an exposed upper deck to permit ready operation or firing of the missile. Various conveying equipment is required to handle the missile complements of an assembly in their transport to the storage area when they are delivered on shipboard, and also in their transport from the storage area to the launching area. This conveying equipment is in the form of wheeled transfer cars having elevators for moving the missile complements about the deck level and for moving the complements between decks. Since the missile structures are of substantial length, overhead rails are utilized for the purpose of suspending the assembled complements to permit their being inspected and readied for launching.

The missile assemblies with which the above outlined conveying equipment is used are of the type which are comprised of two tubular bodies. One termed a booster contains the propellant or explosive medium and the other termed the missile contains the electrical guidance, warhead, etc. components. The booster complement diifers structurally from the missile complement in that it has connecting elements for suspending it directly from the overhead rail and in turn is arranged to be assembled with the missile complement. The overhead rail and booster connecting elements are so designed as to permit an assembled booster and missile to move along the overhead rail and be launched, after which the booster complement separates from the missile complement which continues in fight.

With certain types of missile assemblies it has been customary to use heavy bands which are formed of hinged sections to encompass the complements in transporting them from one area to another, and which are removed when the complements are assembled on the overhead rail. These clamping band arrangements have proved satisfactory with the more rugged types of missile structures, but with the more fragile or thin walled missile constructions their use has been limited or precluded. The bands, due to their heavy and cumbersome construction, have damaged the thin walled shells of the missile complements and have proved otherwise unsatisfactory.

The present invention is concerned with the booster complement structure and arrangements which permit it to be readily handled and maintained in position during transport.

The principal object of the invention is to equip the booster complement with connectors which extend from its periphery and are adapted to coact with securing means which permit the complement to be transported.

Another object is to provide supports for the booster complement which have securing means for maintaining the complement in position during transport.

Another object is to provide supporting blocks which have cavities in their upper faces for receiving the connectors and also have latching mechanisms which lock the connectors within the cavities.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a booster complement supported on a transfer car in position for securement to an overhead rail.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are enlarged partial sectional views taken on the lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, of FIG- URE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the booster complement is indicated at 10 and is formed of an elongate tube of substantial length having a front connecting end indicated at 11 for receiving the mating end of the missile complement (not shown). An overhead rail is represented at 12, in broken lines, and in actual use will receive and suspend the booster 10 by means of upper connectors shown at 13 and 14 which are disposed in longitudinal alignment. Although not shown, the rail 12 will in practice have tracks for suitably receiving the connectors 13 and 14 to permit the booster to travel therealong, for example, the rail may have an inner T-shaped channel for receiving the T-shaped connector 13 and outer side grooves for receiving the U-shaped connector 14.

In order to efiiciently handle or transport the booster 10, it is provided with lower connectors 15 and 16 which are also longitudinally aligned but are disposed diametrically opposite connectors 13 and 14. As will be explained in connection with FIGURES. 2 and 3, the upper and lower connectors 13 and 15 are shown of similar design and the upper and lower connectors 14 and 16 are of similar design. Supporting blocks represented at 17 and 18 are provided, respectively, for the lower connectors 15 and 16 and are fixedly secured to a frame or beam 19 which is mounted on a vehicle 20.

The vehicle 20 is known as a transfer car in the missile handling art and is usually operated on trackage 21-21 for moving the missile complement along a deck level and is also provided with elevators 2222 for raising the booster as, for example, toward the overhead rail 12. Various control equipment is provided in a compartment 23 and also in the vehicle 20 for regulating the operation of the transfer car and elevators but this equipment is not shown since its description is not necessary for the purpose of this invention.

In FIGURE 2, the supporting block 17 is provided with a cavity 25 which is formed in the upper face 26 of the block and the cavity is generally rectangular having a configuration corresponding to the exterior configuration of the connector 15. Both the connector 15 and the cavity 25 have opposed vertical sidewalls which abut as shown in FIGURE 2 but are not identified. The connector 15 is provided with opposed recesses 2727 which form outwardly extending flanges 2828 on the connector 15 which seat on the bottom of the cavity 25 to position the recesses 2727 for receiving detents 29--29, which are horizontally mounted in the supporting block 17 for reciprocable movement.

The detents 2929 are arranged to be contracted toward each other into the recesses 2727 and expanded from the recesses by means of an actuator 30. The actuator is pivotally mounted at 31 to the supporting block 17 and is formed with a left linkage 32 having one arm connected by pin 33 to one detent 29 and pivoted at 33' to supporting block 17 while its other arm is pivoted at 34 to the actuator 30. A right linkage 35 has one arm connected by pin 36 to the other detent 29 and pivoted at 36' to supporting block 17 while its other arm is pivoted at 37 to the actuator 30. Manipulation of the actuator 30 to its shown position will latch the connector 15 and manipulation in the direction of the arrowed line will release the detents. Slots 38-38 are provided in the support 17 as indicated to permit movement of the pivot points 33 and 36.

In FIGURE 3, the supporting block 18 is provided with a cavity 40 which is formed in the upper face 41 of the block and the cavity has opposed vertical sidewalls which correspond to the sidewalls of the connector 16 to snugly receive the connector in abutting relation as shown in the figure. The connector 16 is formed with depending legs indicated at 4242 which terminate respectively in inwardly extending flanges 43-43 to form opposed recesses 44-44. The supporting block 18 has an upstanding rib 45 which is provided with slots (not identified) for receiving detents 4646.

The detents 46-46 are horizontally reciprocated into and out of the recesses 44-44 by means of an actuator 47 which is pivotally mounted at 48 to the rib 45. The actuator 47 has one link arm 49 pivoted thereto at 50 and to one detent 46 at 51 and another link arm 52 pivoted thereto at 53 and to the other detent 46 at 54. Manipulation of the actuator 47 ,to the shown position will lock the detents in recesses 4444 and manipulation in the direction of the arrowed line will release the detents. Slots 54-54 are provided in the support 18 to permit movement of the pivot points 51 and 54.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, Within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

In combination (a) an elongate tubular missile component having first and second longitudinally aligned transverse lugs extending therefrom,

(h) each of said lugs having vertical side wall structure and horizontal bottom wall structure providing opposed recesses,

(c) an elongate beam having first and second longitudinally aligned transverse supporting blocks extending upwardly therefrom,

(d) a first cavity in said first supporting block having side wall and bottom Wall structure to snugly receive said first lug and a second cavity in said second supporting block having side wall and bottom wall structure to snugly receive said second lug,

(e) said first and second cavities and said first and References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,298 2/09 Dickerson 296-3S.1 1,193,896 8/16 Hensel 29635.1 3,022,031 2/62 Bauer et al 248--1l9 3,069,026 12/62 Aluise et al 891.7 X 3,141,376 7/64 Randall 891.7 X

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner. 

